King Charles met Indigenous elders during his visit to the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence (NCIE) in Sydney. One elder told him their goal was “sovereignty.”
The King, who is the first reigning British monarch to visit Australia in 13 years, was confronted by Indigenous Australian activists just a day after being accused of “genocide” by Senator Lidia Thorpe in parliament.
At the NCIE in Redfern, the King participated in a traditional smoking ceremony with members of the Gadigal people. After the ceremony, Elder Allan Murray welcomed him but emphasized the community’s long-standing call for sovereignty. “We have a long way to achieve what we want, and that’s our own sovereignty,” Murray said.
During the visit, protester Wayne ‘Coco’ Wharton was arrested near the Sydney Opera House after attempting to serve the King with a notice of arrest. Wharton called Charles a “king of thieves” before being removed by police, to mixed reactions from the crowd.
This confrontation followed Senator Thorpe’s remarks in parliament, where she accused the King of genocide against Australia’s First Nations people, declaring: “You are not our king. Give us our land back.”
Despite the protests, the King engaged with several First Nations elders privately and watched a performance by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dancers, commenting on their energy: “That looked like a good exercise.”
Charles’ visit also came amid tensions from last year’s failed referendum on Indigenous political rights, with many Indigenous leaders expressing ongoing frustration over historical injustices.